The Day After
by Eike
Summary: Egoist. The day after the library scene.


Written for Skeleton Rust for Christmas.

Nowaki and Hiroki, the day after the library scene.

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**The Day After**

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They showered when they got home, having sex under the spray slowly, gently, completely different from just hours ago at the library, driving away the chill of the rain and loneliness. They sat in the tub, not speaking, just content to hold each other.

When they got into bed, Hiroki almost said "I'm cold," then decided that was just stupid. He pulled Nowaki's arm over him instead, daring him to say anything. Nowaki was thankfully silent, smile only widening. Hiroki couldn't decide if this was the worst day of his life or the best.

When he woke up in the morning, Nowaki was gone. Fear gripped Hiroki, his eyes searching for a note that would say something incomprehensible, something like "I'm going" or "be back later," and that the whole cycle would start anew. His heart couldn't take that.

And then he heard it -- the sound of something sizzling in a frying pan. He wished that sound hadn't just sent relief washing through him, but it'd be hard to deny it to himself. Nowaki was still here. Nowaki was in the kitchen, making breakfast, something that vaguely smelled of fish. Hiroki took a moment to calm himself, so he wouldn't look like a complete nervous wreck when he went out to meet his lover.

"Hiro-san!" Nowaki smiled brightly, and Hiroki felt a blush rise in his cheeks in response.

"Good morning. What are you making?" he asked as casually as he could, sitting down at the kitchen table.

Nowaki stepped away from the frying pan for a moment to lean down and give Hiroki a light kiss. When he pulled away -- and Hiroki was so tempted to follow his lips, to extend the kiss into something deeper -- he answered, "The salmon you had in your freezer. I hope you don't mind? The rice and miso soup are already done."

Hiroki nodded, then decided he might as well help. He got up and set out the chopsticks and cups on the table, then served them both a bowl of soup and a bowl of rice. He searched around the fridge and found some pickled vegetables to go with it too, adding them just as Nowaki was turning the stove off.

They had never really talked much, even before, and Hiroki was starting to wonder if this silence as they ate was uncomfortable. Nowaki was smiling as he ate, and Hiroki wondered if the idiot ever thought at all when they were together. Probably only "Hiro-san, Hiro-san." He wanted to kick himself when he realized he liked that idea.

"So. What did you do while you were abroad?" he asked quickly to distract himself.

Nowaki seemed to hesitate in his answer. "I... I mostly studied. I overloaded on courses, so there was a lot of work to do. And I had a part-time job at a café."

He was probably really popular as a waiter, Hiroki thought. His mind involuntarily brought up images of Nowaki surrounded by teenaged girls at his flower-shop -- but he squashed that thought immediately. He had learned yesterday, something that he'd known all along. Nowaki loved him.

They finished the rest of the breakfast, not speaking, except to quickly decide how best to do the dishes. When even that was done, Hiroki had another panicked thought -- Nowaki would leave again. He had to, to go home. To get changed. He had work too, and school. Hiroki thought of how much he would rather keep Nowaki locked up in his apartment, and was ashamed of how much he wanted to keep Nowaki shackled to him.

"Hiro-san--" Nowaki said, and for the first time Hiroki realized that Nowaki was unsure.

"Yes?"

"Hiro-san, may I stay for a while longer?" The way he asked, it seemed like he didn't already know the answer. Hiroki wondered how that could be, because since the day he'd met Nowaki he felt his heart had been put on display for the world to see.

"Yes. Stay. Stay as long as you like." Nowaki smiled, and looked about to say something terribly romantic, before Hiroki put his hand up. "No. Not like that. What I mean is--" and he realized that Miyagi had been right, that there could be no relationship without communication "-- I want you to stay here. Live here. In this apartment. With me."

Nothing he could have done would have stopped Nowaki from kissing him right then and there in the kitchen, both their hands still wet from doing the dishes. It was a miracle they managed to move back to the bedroom, Hiroki thought. It was a miracle Nowaki was still here.

Hiroki prayed that he never ran out of miracles.


End file.
